Mini Album Mania Blog Hop!

Hi everyone! Welcome to the Technique Junkie Mini Album Mania CD blog hop! If you've landed here first, make sure you go back to the TJ blog and start at the beginning - you don't want to miss any of the fantastic albums that we're sharing!

A couple months ago, Pat Huntoon asked me to contribute to a new CD she was putting together. Even though I have pretty much NEVER scrapped in my life, I said yes. After I got my assignments I was like...what on Earth have I gotten myself into?! Yes, two gorgeous children, tons of photos and yet I am still a dunce when it comes to making scrapbooks. Thankfully, the incredible ideas on the CD inspired me and I think I've found a new hobby!

Ok, now...don't laugh! Yes, my first scrapbook is about one of my chickens. I know, crazy. But Cheepers is a pretty special girl. She was the only one out of a dozen that we hatched in our incubator, so we feel very attached to her!

This album is called the Toilet Tube Album. What a great way to recycle, right? Each of the pages forms a pocket that holds a little pull-out. I absolutely love this little album! The first pull-out is when Cheepers was hatching. This was the first time we'd ever tried to hatch our own eggs and it was amazing. I could hear her cheeping away before she even hatched - hence the name!

My album pages were covered with some paper I had lying around (I can't remember the maker, sorry). To give it a little interest, I highlighted the flowers with Tumbled Glass Distress Stickles. I love that little bit of sparkle it adds. The title piece was cut from green cardstock using the Sizzix Mini Labels die. On top of it I added a little banner that was cut using the Tattered Banners die.  The metal tab is from the new Idea-ology File Tabs set.

Oh my goodness...who wouldn't fall in love with this little baby? The first pic is my daughter holding her after her feathers had dried. The next pic is a little 'glamour shot' I took a few days later. In the third one, you can see she's starting to get her little wing feathers. So cute! All of my pull-out pages were cut from green cardstock and stamped with a chicken wire stamp from Oxford Impressions. The tabs were cut using the Sizzix Tiny Tabs and Tags die and attached using the Idea-ology Tiny Attacher.

For the first few weeks, Cheepers lived in a little bin in our kitchen. Naturally, she was pretty tame and would let me hold her, or she'd perch on my hand. The first pic is when she was going through a bit of an awkward stage - feathers growing in, giant feet - she was a gawky teenager! Cheepers was very happy when she figured out how to fly up and perch on the edge of her bin. For some reason she never left it. Yes...lots of newspaper had to be put down. :) The last pic is when she got to move out to her grown up 'apartment'. She had to be kept apart from the rest of the chickens until she was old enough to defend herself (they can be very mean - pecking order is a serious business).

Almost big enough to move in with the big girls, now she's growing into her feet and feathers and has a nice little comb going. The next picture was taken after she'd moved into the big coop - she immediately started bossing everyone else around! Go Cheepers! The final pull-out is of her first egg. Her entire journey (from egg to egg) only took six months - isn't that incredible?

So, out of curiosity, what is the strangest thing you've ever made an album for? In a related question - how crazy am I? Wait, don't answer that! ;-)

Thanks so much for visiting! Your next stop on the hop is Chris Dickenson's wonderful blog. Chris is one of my favorite TJ designers and she has something wonderful to share!

Most of the supplies I've used can be found at Inspiration Emporium via the links below. Be sure and use my coupon code - stamptramp - to save 10% off your order!

Sizzix Tiny Tabs & Tags	Sizzix Mini Label Set	Sizzix Tattered Banners Die	Idea-ology File Tabs	Tumbled Glass Distress Stickles
Jet Black Archival Ink	Bundled Sage Distress Ink	Idea-ology Tiny Attacher	Snow Cap Paint Dabber	Scotch Tape Glider
Vagabond

InLinkz.com
The Mini Album Mania CD contains 35 tutorials in PDF format. There are SO many fantastic ideas on this CD! I have more mini books to share in the coming days that will seriously blow your mind. Seriously! If you'd like to purchase the CD, you can do so through the link below. The cost is $14.95 plus shipping.